Robin Takes Flight
by The Roadkill
Summary: After a run in with the Scarecrow, Batman is left in critical condition. Can Robin figure out how to save Bruce and Gotham?
1. Chapter 1

On the rooftops of Gotham the dynamic duo take flight. Stopping crime and delivering justice in their wake.

"Robin" the Dark Knight growls, "Come here." A large gloved hand points down the side of the building. Robin moves towards the dark figure standing tall on the ledge. Perched on top of a gargoyle Robin looks down at the darkened alleyway. Four figures congregate in the shadow. One figure is noticeably taller than the others.

"Scarecrow" Robin whispers. The Batman nods. Pulling out a batarang he motions to Robin to move out. To anyone else the gesture would have meant nothing. But to Robin the plan was clear. Batman was going to after the first two figures. He would go after the third. Batman would then face Scarecrow. He would move around the distracted ex-doctor and attack him from behind.

In a flash, two capes ripple through the sky. The men look up, only to glimpse the boots heading towards their faces. Batman and Robin easily strike the group knocking them to the ground. "Scarecrow" Batman snarls. The lanky figure taken by surprise at the sudden attack regains his composure.

"Batman. Are you and Robin here to join in the taste of fear? I understand it's what all the kids are doing these days". Holding out a can of toxin and a needle in either hand Scarecrow bends low preparing to spring forward. Before he can react Batman throws the batarang causing Scarecrow to leap to his right. Robin, by this point had moved to criminal's rear and aimed a roundhouse kick towards his shoulders. His assault, though powerful, did not meet its mark. Scarecrow jumped higher then Robin had anticipated and his kick landed squarely on the Fear Master's bottom merely pushing him forward, not taking him down as planned.

Stumbling forward after the kick the costumed criminal finds himself on a collision course with the Dark Knight. Holding out his syringe the Scarecrow takes on last fumbling step into Batman. Bouncing back against the armored chest he doesn't see the fist crack him across the cheek. He falls back to the ground, a young Robin standing over him. Preparing for more pain he spots an opportunity when the Bird speaks.

"Batman the needle!" Springing to his feet the Master of Fear shoves Robin to one side and takes off into the night. Batman, stunned at needle that had penetrated the soft armor on his side, did not react until after Scarecrow had fled out of the alley.

"Are you hurt?" Robin asks Batman standing back up and pulling out his grappling gun in preparation for a chase.

"Stand down Robin" Batman instructs, "I've been injected and the antidote for fear toxin only works once. We should collect the drugs from these thugs and head back to the cave. We're done for the night; Scarecrow should have left some clues on how he's operating and we can catch him tomorrow". Pulling out a pill from his tool belt Batman swallows and beginnings for the stash the criminals had been buying from Scarecrow. "Robin have you found anything?"

"Nothing, I guess they hadn't cut a deal yet. Hey Batman, isn't this guy Blaine Henderson? I thought he was in Blackgate for dealing drugs to high schoolers."

Peering over at the unconscious man Batman replies, "Someone must have bailed him out. I wonder why?" The lights of the Batmobile shine into the alleyway. Batman and Robin get in and head back to the Batcave. The car hums lightly as they leave the city lights in the distance. "Robin." The Dark Knight began his voice stern. "What happened against Scarecrow"?

"I… I aimed for a kick on his shoulders to take him down. It landed low."

"What else"

"I probably shouldn't have kicked. He was too tall. A low attack would have a better chance of success."

"Good. Next time you'll do better."

"I'm sorry you're hurt" Jason whispers.

"It's nothing". The Batmobile races forward into the side of a mountain. Before it crashes the mountain opens up and the vehicle enters. Inside the cave Batman turns off the car and Robin hops out. Taking off his mask Robin begins to feeling guilty about his mishap in the alley. Scarecrow should have been caught tonight.

Alfred enters the cave observing the scene before him. "How was patrol this evening Master Bruce. I see you're back early. Good news I hope".

Bruce sends Alfred a look. Then replies, "We had Scarecrow cornered but he got away. He took whatever drugs he was dealing with him."

"I'm confident you will catch him soon. And the reason you're back so early?" Alfred glances at Jason looking for injuries.

"I was injected with fear toxin and thought it prudent, with the antidotes limited effect, to return rather than chase down Scarecrow." Bruce removes the armor off his chest looking to where he was stabbed. The flesh in the area had turned into a pink and inflamed sore.

"My word!" Alfred exclaimed. "Something is certainly out of the ordinary. Sit down Master Bruce- I'll fetch the medical supplies." Jason looks up from where he had been changing into his pajamas. He looks at the wound and then at Bruce slumped back into the chair.

"Alfred!" Jason shouted. "Bruce passed out!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

The next night Jason heads down to the Batcave at twilight, determined to make an early start. He needs to figure out what happened. He needs to fix this. If he had only moved a little faster, followed Bruce's instructions a bit more carefully, none of this would have happened. It's all his fault, and the only way to make it better is to find Scarecrow and beat the formula out of him.

On his way down he passes a preoccupied Alfred on his out the door. "I'm going out." Alfred says. "Dr. Thompson and I are going to run some more tests."

Jason nods. They won't need the tests, he'll get the formula and then Dr. Thompson can reverse engineer it and Bruce will be fine. It will all be fine.

"Jason…" Alfred says, pausing on his way out the door.

Jason looks at him. "What?" he asks harshly. He needs to get going, he needs to get that formula tonight.

"Be careful."

Before the words are even out of Alfred's mouth, Jason has begun his mad rush down to the Bat cave. He dresses into his suit with a speed that would rival Flash, and Robin is out into Gotham before the sky is even fully dark.

At school that day he had been mentally plotting out the most likely locations for Scarecrow's next deal while the teacher had been droning on about Gotham's storied past. This plotting paid off. Robin has been perched on his ledge for scarcely an hour when a couple of kids saunter into the alley below. Ten minutes later, the familiar gangly figure joins them.

Not wasting any time Robin creeps down to where he can get a clear kick at Scarecrow's back. The kids are jittery and high strung, their glitter covered faces and fancy hairdos make it clear that they just took a break from a party for this meet up. Robin knows that if he can take the man down, the kids will run away. And that is fine, they're users, probably, not dealers, and all Robin needs tonight is the master of fear and the formula he's devised. He can clean up Gotham another day, today he needs to fix Batman, and make up for his mistakes.

Robin is hardly breathing as he gets into position, positioning himself on a fire escape directly across from the tall man. The scarecrow turns away, and Robin leaps. As his feet leave the ledge Scarecrow looks up and sees him. The man smirks, and steps to the side, causing Robin to gracelessly crash into the asphalt. He kicks Robin in the stomach as his clients gape at the sight, and takes out his spray bottle, squirting a noxious mixture directly in Robin's face.

Scarecrow grabs a needle out of the bundle he was about to hand off. Robin gasps and wheezes, he tries to get up, tries to run, to crawl… anything to get away from that deadly mix. Suddenly, a phone rings. Robin pays it no mind, pays no mind to the waking nightmares edging in on his mind, ignores everything but his burning need to escape. But, surprisingly, his attacker stops.

"Yes?"He hears the lulling voice of Scarecrow ask, "Yes. Right away."

Through the deepening haze, Robin sees Scarecrow exit the alley, needle in hand. That is the last thing he sees before his waking nightmares overcome his reality and Robin blacks out.


	3. Chapter 3

Cold, dense, coarse grains press hard against Robin's face. As the shadows of failure danced across Robin's gaze he remained still on the ground. A small rational part of his brain believed that if he did not move the demons before him would leave him be.

"Jason", Robin hears Batman echo clearly through his mind. "How did you miss? If it was the Joker I would understand. But you should have done better. The last Robin wouldn't have missed such an easy target. Now I'm going to die. All because you weren't good enough."

"Batman, please. I'm sorry. I'll... I'll do better, I swear. I'll train harder, learn more, I'll be the best partner you've ever had". Unable to hide his feelings under the fear gas Robin continued to beg for forgiveness.

The shadow of Dark Knight covering the Boy Wonder in guilt and fear did not recede as the sounds asking for forgiveness were uttered. "No", Batman's voice boomed. "You're nothing but a failure. I should have sent you to juvenile detention for failing to steal my tires. Maybe if I didn't bring you in the old Robin would have come back. Just stay here. You clearly can't save me. Just like you couldn't save your own mother."

The tears poured through Robin's mask as the image of Bruce laying in coffin appeared before him. Suddenly Jason was back in the manor, the day bright and sunny out on the grounds. Jason watched a robin hop down from the tree branch onto Bruce's parent's graves. A freshly dug grave appeared next to theirs. Alfred, impeccably dressed turned to him. "Why didn't you protect him, Jason. He trusted you. How could you fail him?"

"I tried. How was I supposed to know he was going to jump that high. It was just a bad kick... I tried… I promise you. I tried". Jason's words were drowned out by laughter. Back in the alley the shadow of Batman was replaced by the Scarecrow.

"What's wrong little bird? Scared to jump out of the nest? I liked the last Robin better. I can't say, however, that I'm upset. Without you I might have never killed the Dark Knight." The Scarecrow laughed again. Robin, in anger, leaped up and aimed a punch right to the rogue doctor's stomach. The force of the punch landed him back to the ground as his fist moved through the illusion that his guilty mind created.

Back on the asphalt Robin finally broke free of the high created by the fear toxin. Even in the dank alley the world seemed to grow infinitely brighter and more hopeful as haze in his mind cleared. Looking to the starless sky Robin knew he had to return home before Alfred noticed. Although he knew the only reason he left so easily was because Alfred did not stop him, keeping the illusion that he was remaining safe within the manor was important to the loyal butler.


	4. Interlude 1

Jonathan Crane walked into his latest hideout, his head pounding. The smell of chemicals greeted him at the door of the commended apartment. Looking around Crane the room couldn't remember his purpose in returning. Did he need more gas? Patting the canisters on his belt he could feel they were full. Perhaps he had been experimenting with a more concentrated toxin and need more needles. He peered into the satchel on his hip revealing about a dozen needles filled with his formula. Was he injured? Scarecrow quick assessed himself, he could feel no new injury.

Why did he return? The flightless wonder was at his mercy! Why did he leave? Thinking back at the scene against the young bird Crane's headache grew stronger. What was wrong with him?

'Knock, knock, knock'. The sound of someone at the door immediately made Scarecrow suspicious. Grabbing the scythe that he usually left behind when doing his dealer runs he stalked towards the door.


End file.
